Could Selenium Deficiency Have Been To Blame For General Custer’s Defeat At Little Bighorn?

Many of us are familiar with the story of General Custer’s defeat during the Battle of Little Bighorn… The discovery of gold by the Little Bighorn River in 1874 (present-day Montana) led the U.S. Government to attempt to buy sacred land from the Sioux, Arapaho, and Cheyenne Nations, only to be turned down. Custer was sent to push them off their lands in 1876 as a result. To this day, theories abound regarding all the “coulda, woulda, shoulda” attack planning and troop movement scenarios that never occurred because we simply can’t alter the past… Instead, Custer and 209 of his men perished that fateful day in June of 1876, relegated to history, for all eternity.

In recent years, there have been a few reports surrounding one theory that selenium deficiency may have caused reports of lameness experienced by the horses of the 7th Cavalry. Lack of selenium in the soil as well as the plants species that absorb nutrients from certain pockets in the Great Plains is well-documented. Thus, speculation has arisen that one of the real reasons for “Custer’s Last Stand” was that his horses were suffering from selenium deficiency, thereby making it difficult for them to cover ground quickly or efficiently.

Again, this is nothing more than a theory… It can all be disproved tomorrow.

Thankfully, such conflicts are now a thing of the past. However, selenium deficiency in horses isn’t just a theory, it’s a fact of ownership that many horse owners must overcome by supplementing their feed with selenium.

Luckily, Horse Guard Inc. has researched the importance of selenium as a supplement for horses. They have developed products, such as Horse Guard, Simplete Essential, and Mega Dose, all of which offer not only organic selenium, but contain all the vitamins and minerals and pre & probiotics a horse needs to provide balanced nutrition.

We’ve been researching the effects of organic selenium on horses for a number of years. We’ve perfected our Horse Guard formula to give your horse the correct dose of organic selenium, and we are so confident in our product that we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee, no questions asked! Browse our site and see for yourself how the professionals at Horse Guard Inc. are dedicated to improving and maintaining the health of horses everywhere, one product at a time.

About Horse Guard

Ty is the Marketing Director for Horse Guard. A Cal Poly graduate, Ty has been handling and competing with horses her whole life. Ty values her horses health and truly believes she is feeding and marketing the best equine supplements on the market.
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